Maundy Thursday and my doubts about grace

Two-thirds of all US adults now say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus that is still important in their life today, marking a 12 percent increase in the last four years. Barna researchers say this “may be the clearest indication of meaningful spiritual renewal in the United States.” In similar news, new data from the Bible Society in the UK reports that two million more people in Great Britain attended church in 2024 than in 2018.

Here’s an especially encouraging fact: Young adults in both countries are fueling the increase. Perhaps this is in part the result of the anxiety and depression so many of them are feeling as they grow increasingly pessimistic about their future. The greater our challenges, the more we recognize our need for a Power greater than ourselves.

But what God does, Satan corrupts. In this case, he wants to use our frustrations and failures to turn us from our Father rather than toward him. He whispers in our souls that we are not worthy of God’s favor, that our sins have cost us his best.

I have certainly been a victim of this deception over the years. In fact, I can hear his subtle doubts about grace in my heart even now. Perhaps you can hear them in yours as well.

An event on Maundy Thursday exposes this lie and invites us to consider an astounding dimension of Jesus’ love for us.

“What is there of Judas in our hearts?”

If Jesus could forgive Judas Iscariot, would you agree that he can forgive anyone?

Frederick Buechner writes of our Lord’s arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane:

There can be no doubt in Jesus’ mind what the kiss of Judas means, but it is Judas that he is blessing, and Judas that he is prepared to go out and die for now. Judas is only the first in a procession of betrayers two thousand years long. If Jesus were to exclude him from his love and forgiveness, to one degree or another he would have to exclude mankind.

Br. Geoffrey Tristam of the Society of St. John the Evangelist in Boston makes his point by asking, “What is there of Judas in our hearts? When have we turned away from the light and betrayed Jesus in our words and through our actions?”

I can unfortunately answer his questions easily. I assume you can as well.

Here’s the amazing rest of the story: The Savior who chose to die for Judas and all the Judases to follow prayed that same night for Judas and all the Judases to follow.

Including you and me.

The night I met Billy Graham

I’ll never forget meeting Billy Graham. I was part of a team sent from Dallas to invite the greatest evangelist since Paul to conduct an evangelistic mission in our city. When we spoke with Mr. Graham, he asked for our names as he shook our hands and welcomed us with gracious warmth. Then, as I began our presentation, he looked into my eyes and, it seemed, into my soul. I’ll always remember the depth and holiness of those blue eyes and the heart they revealed.

Knowing his personal “connection” with God, if I could have asked Billy Graham to pray for my personal needs, I would have felt immeasurably relieved and blessed. I presume that any of us would feel the same.

Now consider that Someone infinitely more connected with God is doing just that on our behalf today.

After his last supper with his disciples, Jesus spent significant time teaching them before his impending death (John 14–16). Then he “lifted up his eyes to heaven” and began to pray (John 17:1). He interceded for his apostolic disciples (vv. 6–19), then he prayed “for those who will believe in me through their word” (v. 20).

This phrase includes you and me.

What’s more, Jesus is continuing his intercession for us today. He is “at the right hand of God,” where he is “interceding for us” (Romans 8:34). “Interceding” could be translated “continually pleading on our behalf.” Hebrews 7 adds: “He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (v. 25, my emphasis).

Think of it: The divine Son of God is praying for you right now.

“When God prefers to remain anonymous”

We will not know until we are in heaven the degree to which Jesus’ intercession marked and changed our lives. But we do know that the Father “always” hears his Son (John 11:42). And we know that Jesus only prays for his “perfect” will for us to be done (Romans 12:2).

I can imagine Jesus praying for the men who knocked on my apartment door in August of 1973 to invite my brother and me to their church. I learned later that we were the last people they visited that day. If we had not been home, they would not have come back. If our father had not happened to overhear our conversation, he would not have put us on their bus the next morning, a day that led to our eventual response to the gospel.

If “coincidence is when God prefers to remain anonymous,” I wonder how many such “chance” encounters are the direct result of Jesus’ intercession on our behalf.

And there’s more: As the Son of God prays for us, the Spirit of God who indwells every believer (1 Corinthians 3:16) prays within us: “We do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). With this promise: “The Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (v. 27).

“You have taken up my cause, O Lord”

In the hard places of life, we may be moved to ask,

Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion? (Psalm 77:7–9).

But the greater our pain, the more we need the One who can heal us. The deeper our grief, the more we need his grace. When we pray to the One who is praying for us, we can testify:

I called on your name, O Lᴏʀᴅ, from the depths of the pit; you heard my plea, “Do not close your ear to my cry for help!” You came near when I called on you; you said, “Do not fear!” You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life (Lamentations 3:55–58; cf. Psalm 31:22).

Where does Judas live in your heart? That’s the very place Jesus is praying for you now.

Will you join him?

Quote for the day:

“Grace, like water, flows to the lowest part.” —Philip Yancey

Our latest website resources:

• Yet again, I’m not on Time’s “most influential people” list: A reflection on prosperity, persecution, and true success
• What evangelicals can learn from the Harvard controversy
• Who am I in light of the resurrection?
• Was the cross really necessary? What does the Bible say about Easter?
• Gen Z turns to Jesus, trade war with China, Harvard conflict & Rory McIlroy

Denison Forum

A powerful and surprising reminder of God’s amazing love

The King of Kings—Angel Studios’ new film about the life of Christ—set a record for animated faith-based films at the box office, bringing in an estimated $19 million in its opening weekend. It joins The Chosen and House of David as recent success stories in sharing the Bible with a broad audience.

But where those live-action shows stress making Scripture come to life in a way that is both engaging and relatable, The King of Kings opts for a different approach, and the film is better for it.

Now, I have nothing against The Chosen or House of David and genuinely enjoy watching both shows. But there was something about the simplicity of The King of Kings that resonated with both me and my kids in a way I really needed this Easter season.

While that simplicity has been a source of derision among many critics, that critique misses the beauty and purpose of the film. And that fact becomes clear when you take an honest look at what the film was created to be rather than judging it by what so many have become accustomed to seeing.

Experiencing the gospel for the first time

The King of Kings doesn’t start with the story of Jesus. Rather, it starts with Charles Dickens.

That may seem like a strange place to begin, but the film is loosely based on a version of Christ’s story called The Life of Our Lord that he would read to his children every Christmas. But whereas Dickens’ version focused more on Jesus as a moral example worth following, The King of Kings rightly emphasizes his role as the Son of God and the importance of faith.

To that end, the film opens with Dickens performing a telling of A Christmas Carol in front of an audience when he is interrupted by his youngest son Walter’s antics backstage. After order is belatedly restored and he’s able to finish the show, he returns home to find that his wife has promised Walter that Charles will tell him a story about the greatest king once he arrives.

You see, Walter is obsessed with the story of King Arthur, and his parents use that interest to introduce the King of all kings, Jesus. What follows is a largely accurate, if simple, version of the Gospels that culminates in Christ’s death and resurrection.

Throughout the story, Charles and Walter become part of it. Walter even interrupts at times to ask questions about the Passover, what a manger is, and several others meant to remind the audience that he has never heard the gospel before.

And that perspective is really what makes this movie both unique and powerful.

There is little about the details of Christ’s life, the way the film is animated, or even the voicework—though well done—that stands out from the many other Jesus films that have been released over the years. Instead, what makes this movie special is the joy and amazement evidenced by Walter as he hears the story for the first time.

Walter’s reactions throughout the film are a reminder of the fact that, far too often, our familiarity with the story of Christ robs us of its wonder. And, especially during the Easter season, most of us could probably benefit from regaining a bit of that wonder.

A powerful reminder of God’s love

Ultimately, if you go into The King of Kings expecting a story of comparable depth and nuance to The Chosen, you will leave disappointed. If you buy a ticket hoping to be entertained with spectacle or breathtaking animation, the film will probably fall short as well.

However, if you can set aside those preconceived notions and simply accept the movie for what it is—a simple retelling intended to convey the essentials of the gospel message—then you will be better equipped to experience it as Walter does and to share in his amazement at the love God has for each of us.

So this Easter season, please don’t take the gospel for granted just because it’s a story you’ve heard before. The truth of God’s grace and mercy is as relevant and needed today as when you first heard it. The King of Kings reminded me of that fact, and I’m grateful for it. I pray that you will be as well.

Denison Forum

Holy Tuesday and my spiritual blindness

In these financially stressful times, if your home often doubles as an office, workout gym, movie theater, and restaurant, you’re not alone. Now let’s add another space you may not know you need: “wellness rooms.”

According to a Dallas designer, “Spaces for wellness, retreat, and recharging are all really popular right now.” You can create “soundbathing” spaces to immerse yourself in soothing instrumental and natural sounds. You can sleep on a bed that uses low-frequency sounds and vibrations. You can even shower using technology that customizes water, steam, lighting, and music options.

A New York designer says, “Having a private space is essential. A wellness room should be a space where the outside world dissolves; no background noise, no movement beyond your own. This is where you go to let go; to drop into something quieter, something deeper.”

Then there’s the other side of the spectrum: “panic” rooms are booming as well. One home near Dallas is being outfitted with an underground tunnel connecting a bunker to the client’s home. The trend is no longer just for the wealthy: one company makes $20,000 bunkers for people who “drive Chevy pickup trucks, not Ferraris.”

Storage buildings in South Dakota have been converted into leasable bunkers for the same purpose. People are installing secret gun closets, panic rooms, and moving fireplaces that lead to escape tunnels. In one home, the fireplace opens while the James Bond theme is played on a nearby piano.

According to a 2023 survey, one-third of American adults are preparing for a doomsday scenario, spending a collective $11 billion over twelve months to do so.

When “everything bitter is sweet”

We can make all the preparations we can make, but they may not be enough. As today’s anniversary of the Titanic disaster reminds us, the ship was “unsinkable” until it wasn’t. (For more, see my website article, New images show Titanic crew gave their lives to save others.)

Bunkers cannot protect us from pancreatic cancer or panic rooms from traffic accidents. In fact, placing our security in buildings built by humans can blind us to the most significant and urgent issues our souls face today.

On Tuesday of Holy Week, Jesus spent much of the day teaching the people in the temple precincts. When a group was “speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings” (Luke 21:5), he warned them: “The days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” (v. 6). In AD 70, the Romans fulfilled his prediction. I have stood many times beside the first-century pavement cratered by massive blocks from the temple “thrown down” by Titus and his soldiers.

A thousand years earlier, King Solomon warned the people, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” (Proverbs 27:1). However, he also observed, “To one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet” (Proverbs 27:7).

The problem is, we don’t know it at the time.

I was so lost I had no idea I was lost

Imagine that you and everyone you know have been blind for your entire lives. You would not know what you do not know. You would assume that the world can be known only by touch, smell, taste, and sound. You wouldn’t ask someone to heal your blind eyes because you wouldn’t know that you need to be healed.

The Bible warns soberly, “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). I can testify personally to the effectiveness of Satan’s work. Growing up in Houston, Texas, I was so lost that I had no idea I was lost. I was not searching for the gospel because I did not know it existed to be sought.

I thought church was what church members chose to do with their Sunday mornings just like golf was what golfers did with their weekends, neither of which seemed relevant to me. If Christians had not left the church building to bring the church to me, I would never have come to them.

This is why God’s word commands us: “Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter” (Proverbs 24:11). If you saw a child who was about to step in front of an oncoming car, would you do all you could to save them? If your doctor discovers that you have life-threatening cancer, do you want her to avoid telling you so as not to hurt your feelings, or do you want her to do all she can to save your life?

“His energy that he powerfully works within me”

Holy Week is a wonderful time for spiritual conversations with people who might not otherwise seem interested. According to researcher Dr. Thom Rainer, 82 percent of unchurched people are at least somewhat likely to attend church if invited; the number is even higher for significant holidays like Easter.

However, if offering such an invitation and sharing the gospel seems daunting, let’s close with this good news: the One who came to open blind eyes through his incarnate body now wants to do the same through ours.

Oswald Chambers explained: “Eternal life is not a gift from God. It is the gift of God—the gift God makes of himself to his children. This same life, not a copy of it, is manifested in us when we are born of God” (his emphasis).

Consequently, he added:

The weakest among us can experience the power of Jesus Christ if we are willing to let go. If instead we cling to our own power, we will blur the life of Jesus inside us. We have to keep letting go, keep identifying with him. Slowly and surely, the great full life of God will invade us in every part of our being, and those we meet will sense that we have been with Jesus.

“Christ in you” is “the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Jesus entered our broken world in his incarnate body and again in ours. Now we are called to “tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ” (v. 28 NLT).

When this is our purpose, we can say with Paul,

“For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” (v. 29).

For what purpose will you “toil” today?

Quote for the day:

“Our high and privileged calling is to do the will of God in the power of God for the glory of God.” —J. I. Packer

Our latest website resources:

• New images show Titanic crew gave their lives to save others: A hopeful reflection on the anniversary of the disaster
• Rory McIlroy’s Masters win and a transforming life principle
• Is “The King of Kings” worth seeing? A powerful and surprising reminder of God’s amazing love
• Why I miss Moses this Passover
• Dire wolves: A Christian ethic on de-extinction and cloning

Denison Forum